This article has been contributed by Selma Rayon, an Associate Medical Writer at Ashfield Healthcare Communications.

When I started seeking employment in the medical communications sector, I knew I was drawn to the medical writing path. The difficulty was that there were few entry-level positions that offered training, relative to the amount of applicants! Almost every position being advertised required some level of professional experience in medical writing, in which I was lacking – so when I was offered a place at the allegro programme, I knew this would be a fantastic opportunity to receive the necessary training, support and opportunities to develop the skills and mind- set for medical writing. Continue reading →

Tilly Shackley is an Associate Medical Writer with Real Science and has reflected on her first three months working as a medical writer in MedComms.

It is always challenging to know what to expect when entering into a new career, especially if it is in a niche field, such as medical communications. 3 months ago, I had my first day as an Associate Medical Writer at Real Science Communications, fresh from the labs after completing my MPhil in clinical medical research. Since then, I have been on a very steep learning curve and I have loved every minute of it, despite some challenges. I had a think about what advice I would give to myself on my first day and compiled six points that I wish somebody had told me. Continue reading →

This article has been contributed by Deborah Porter, an Associate Medical Writer at Ashfield Healthcare Communications.

As someone who has spent their entire working life in the NHS, I thought I was a bit long‑in‑the‑tooth for a change of career. For years I had wanted to take a different path in my scientific journey, but never quite found the courage. Then, at the start of 2019, I decided I was going to be brave and go for it. I knew I wanted to stay in science and that I wanted to write, so it seemed like a good choice to become a medical writer. I began applying for Associate Medical Writer positions, and was lucky enough to catch the attention of the Allegro team at Ashfield Healthcare Communications. Continue reading →

This article has been contributed by Alex Binks, an Associate Medical Writer at Publicis Resolute.

After spending more than three years doing cancer research in a lab for my PhD, I knew that it was time for a career change. Although I loved the people, my research, and the ability to put “Dr” on every online form I could get my hands on, I felt myself gravitating more and more towards opportunities to explain science to wider audiences. As a result, I made the switch to MedComms and started work as an Associate Medical Writer at Publicis Resolute. Here are a few of my favourite things about the move from lab life to working in a MedComms agency. Continue reading →

Emma Perry, a Senior Account Executive at Publicis Resolute, has written an acrostic, spelling out her enthusiasm for medical communications…

Many people ask me how I started working in medical communications, and the answer is quite straightforward.

Essentially, I really enjoyed the fast-paced environment and day-to-day variety in my previous PR agency, but I missed the science! Continue reading →

Rhiannon Roberts has been an Associate Medical Writer with Real Science for 10 months now, and reflects on her experience of MedComms so far…

As I came towards the end of my PhD in Cell Biology, I started looking at the obvious (and what I thought at the time was the only) next step – a postdoc in the same field. I didn’t know much about MedComms, and I had definitely never considered a career in it.

During my search for a postdoc position I became worried about getting stuck in the same field/doing the same experiments forever. At this point a friend of mine who had already made the leap out of academia encouraged me to explore the world of MedComms. I haven’t looked back.

Continue reading →